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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166315">save him.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry/pseuds/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry'>ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stucky OneShots [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Captain America: The First Avenger, Happy Ending, M/M, Soulmate AU, Stucky - Freeform, Time Skips, it takes them a while to admit it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:16:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29166315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry/pseuds/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>bucky barnes and steve rogers are soulmates, but it takes them a while to talk about it.</p><p>stucky soulmate au based on this prompt: “a person who saves you from a near-death experience is your soulmate.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Stucky OneShots [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>save him.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>ages: 6 and 7<br/>steve couldn’t catch his breath, or open his eyes. he groaned, keeping his hands up as punch after punch landed against him.<br/>suddenly, they stopped, making steve smile. “ya tired or-“ <br/>“woah, stevie. whyd you let him hit you like that?”<br/>steve shook his head, but that only made it hurt. “bu... it hurts.”<br/>“i know, stevie. i got you. just hang in there a second, okay?”<br/>“hurts, buck.”<br/>“it’s okay. you’ll be okay.” bucky had an arm around his waist, half dragging steve.<br/>“wanna sleep. ‘m tired.”<br/>“no, i think you’ve gotta stay awake.”<br/>“he knocked out my baby tooth, buck.”<br/>“i knocked a couple of his, too, steve. you pull it off better, trust me.”<br/>“am i dying?”<br/>“no! of course not. you’re fine.”<br/>“you saved my life, buck... like my guardian.”<br/>“i’m not your guardian, steve! now shut it. we’re almost to my mom.”</p><p>ages: 13 and 14<br/>steve’s head hit the outside of the school building. he blinked slowly, flinching away from the fist in front of his face. it didn’t do anything; his nose still cracked under the force.<br/>“ya learned to leave me alone yet?”<br/>“ya learned to leave uninterested girls alone?” steve asked in response, resulting in another punch to the jaw.<br/>steve was able to shove him away, but not far. he backed away from another punch. but, the bully kicked the back of his knee, sending him to the ground. the bully stomped on his back, making him choke.<br/>“what the fuck do you think you’re doin’?” bucky was there now. the sounds of someone getting punched continued, but steve knew it was finally the bully.<br/>“what the hell? i didn’t know you were his guardian, barnes.”<br/>“i’m not his guardian. you need to leave people alone, asshole.”<br/>“man, he started it!”<br/>“and you’re that intimidated by a skinny kid like him?” steve wanted to protest, but bucky was right. “leave him alone. if i ever see you touch him again, i’ll fucking kill you. you better hope your guardian doesn’t give a shit that you deserve it.”</p><p>ages: 17 and 18<br/>steve was face down on gravel again. he was missing at least one tooth. every time he inhaled , he could taste blood.<br/>“you got a guardian, kid?” the asshole steve had punched was kneeling beside him.<br/>steve closed his eyes, head rocking forward. gravel pushed into his temple. he thought of bucky, who was always there every time he was sure he was dead. wasn’t that a guardian? <br/>“answer me, faggot.”<br/>“i ain’t got a guardian.”<br/>“but that doesn’t mean he’s ain’t got someone who will kick your ass,” bucky shoved the guy down. “leave the names and punches at home.” then he lifted steve up. “you gotta stop fighting people, steve.”<br/>“why? you always save me.”<br/>“i might not always be there, steve.”<br/>“then my guardian will save me, buck,” steve let bucky take his weight.<br/>bucky tensed, then muttered a quiet, “right.”</p><p>ages: 22 and 23<br/>the guy beside steve gripped the girl’s waist. “why don’t you come home with me tonight, doll?”<br/>steve rolled his eyes, ignoring the idiot... until the girl responded. then his attention was back on them.<br/>“actually, i’m just here with my friends.”<br/>“come on, i can show you some fun. don’t be like this,” the guy kissed her neck.<br/>she stiffened. “i-“<br/>“let’s go. i’ll show you my bed-“<br/>“she said no, asshole,” steve turned to them, crossing his arms. <br/>“was i asking you?” the guy didn’t even glance at steve.<br/>“nah, but that’s not the point here, is it?” he grabbed the guy’s arm, pulling it backward. the girl slipped free, immediately backing away. <br/>“what’s your problem?” the guy finally looked at him. he was tall, taller than even bucky. “you wanted her or something?”<br/>“not if she doesn’t want me! i’m not a dick, like you.”<br/>the guy shook his head, grabbing the glass beer bottle from beside him. “i’m the dick?”<br/>“yes. you are. girls don’t usually come to places like this, and that’s because they can’t ever just feel safe-“<br/>steve flinched back as the other man smashed the bottle, leaving a sharp edge. “you wanna keep talking, pal?”<br/>“i just...” steve stared without moving. he could faintly hear the chatter of everyone else around them.<br/>he flinched as someone touched his back, but he relaxed as he realized who it was. “buck... i’m fine.”<br/>“put that bottle down.” bucky stepped forward. “put it down.”<br/>“no! your little boyfriend here deserves whatever i’m going to give him.”<br/>“you’re trying to kill him. he deserves that?”<br/>“yeah, he does. who are you to stop me? his fucking guardian?”<br/>“can’t a guy just protect his best friend?” bucky asked.<br/>“not really,” the other guy shrugged. but he put down the bottle. “keep your buddy on a leash if you don’t want him dead.” then he walked away.<br/>bucky grabbed steve’s wrist to take him home. neither of them mentioned how bucky hadn’t declined steve being his boyfriend.</p><p>ages: 27 and 28<br/>“bucky!” steve ran to the open hole of the train. bucky was holding onto the side of it. “bucky, no!”<br/>“steve,” bucky yelled; his voice barely carried over the sound of the rushing wind.<br/>“wait, i’ve got you. just- grab my hand!” steve grabbed onto the inner wall, planting himself on the floor of the train. he stretched his other hand out to bucky, who also reached out before slipping. they both yelped.<br/>bucky twisted, pulling himself up an inch before he fell back to his original position. “i’m letting go, steve,” bucky admitted, relaxing his shoulders.<br/>“no, no! you can’t. hold on. only a second. please.” steve squinted against the wind, pushing past it to reach the bar closest to him. “come on, buck!” steve stretched his hand out again.<br/>bucky raised his arm, stretching his fingers. then he shook his head. “i-“<br/>steve shook his head again. he balanced against the outside of the train, gripping the bar as he slid closer to bucky.<br/>the bar bucky was holding slipped, so steve stopped breathing. “steve!” bucky screamed, the bar falling off the side of the train.<br/>save him. save him. save him. <br/>steve couldn’t think, didn’t have time to even if he could. so, acting impulsively, as he often did, he lunged forward. he had enough sense to keep hold of his own bar as he grabbed bucky’s arm. he pulled bucky toward him. bucky grabbed steve’s waist as he was pushed against the wall of the train.<br/>“steve...”<br/>“sh... grab onto the bar behind you. i’m going to lean back and then you get back in the train, alright?”<br/>bucky nodded, so steve leaned back, holding on with his left hand so bucky could get past him. bucky slowly slid there, eyes squinting against the wind.<br/>steve watched him carefully until he was completely back in the train, then he followed his best friend’s lead.<br/>bucky was leaning against the opposite wall, so steve sat beside him. both of their knees were bent, lining up to one another’s.<br/>“you’re my soulmate, aren’t you?” steve whispered. it was unlikely bucky could hear him over the wind, but he expected the question enough to be able to answer it. <br/>“yeah. i think so.”<br/>“is that how it always feels when you have to save me?” steve took a shaky breath. he used to think bucky was his guardian. all those times he got in a fight and bucky found him...<br/>as he got older, he stopped thinking it. no one really believed in soulmates anyway. it was a fairytale.<br/>“yeah. that’s how it feels. i just... my only thought is to find you and protect you. i don’t think about anything else. i don’t even process anything until you’re safe,” bucky admitted.<br/>“it’s so fucking scary.”<br/>“i was hoping you’d never feel it.”<br/>“why not?” steve had to ask. “why didn’t you ever tell me? i always thought... but you kept saying it wasn’t true and-“<br/>“come on, steve. you’re a guy, i’m a guy. i dunno... and you never seemed to feel it like i did, so i didn’t think it was real. i thought maybe i just wanted it to be real, so i faked it. soulmates are just stories.”<br/>“doesn’t seem that way,” steve responded. <br/>“yeah, well... i dunno. you don’t have to be with your soulmate. even if your heart was supposed to be with theirs, it’s not a law or anything. you can still-“<br/>“but i want to be with you!”<br/>“steve...”<br/>steve grabbed bucky’s hand, squeezing it. “til the end of the line,” steve smirked. he cupped bucky’s cheek. “guardians are made to save their soulmate.”<br/>“trust me, i fucking know. seems like you can save yourself, though,” bucky leaned his head against steve’s hand.<br/>“so, you’re supposed to catch me when i fall, right?”<br/>“course. but, as long as you stay away from that giant hole, you’ll be-“<br/>“so, catch me as i fall in love with you, james buchanan barnes.”<br/>“god. that’s the sappiest shit you’ve ever said,” bucky laughed, eyes closing.<br/>“you love it, though.”<br/>“yeah, well, i don’t have much of a choice, do i?”<br/>“and if you did? have a choice, i mean.” steve rubbed a circle into bucky’s cheekbone with his thumb.<br/>“i’d choose to fall for you.”<br/>“i’ll catch you,” steve whispered. he nudged their noses together; bucky’s mouth fell open instantly.<br/>protect him.<br/>he’s yours.<br/>guardian, guardian, guardian.<br/>soulmates.</p>
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